Multisensor Fusion For Computer Vision

This volume contains revised papers based on contributions to the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Multisensor Fusion for Computer Vision, held in Grenoble, France, in June 1989. The 24 papers presented here cover a broad range of topics, including the principles and issues in multisensor fusion, information fusion for navigation, multisensor fusion for object recognition, network approaches to multisensor fusion, computer architectures for multi sensor fusion, and applications of multisensor fusion. The participants met in the beautiful surroundings of Mont Belledonne in Grenoble to discuss their current work in a setting conducive to interaction and the exchange of ideas. Each participant is a recognized leader in his or her area in the academic, governmental, or industrial research community. The workshop focused on techniques for the fusion or integration of sensor information to achieve the optimum interpretation of a scene. Several participants presented novel points of view on the integration of information. The 24 papers presented in this volume are based on those collected by the editor after the workshop, and reflect various aspects of our discussions. The papers are organized into five parts, as follows.

Spatial Reasoning and Multi-Sensor Fusion

This book includes papers from the section “Multisensor Information Fusion”, from Sensors between 2018 to 2019. It focuses on the latest research results of current multi-sensor fusion technologies and represents the latest research trends, including traditional information fusion technologies, estimation and filtering, and the latest research, artificial intelligence involving deep learning.

This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the theories and techniques of multi-sensor data fusion. It is aimed at advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students in electrical engineering and computer science, as well as researchers and professional engineers. The book is intended to be self-contained. No previous knowledge of multi-sensor data fusion is assumed, although some familiarity with the basic tools of linear algebra, calculus and simple probability theory is recommended.

There has been a growing interest during the 1990s in the use of multiple sensors to increase the capabilities of intelligent machines and systems. This text is a compendium of some of the most important and influential work that has appeared in this area. In addition, it contains comprehensive introductory material and an extensive survey and review of related research. The volume should be useful to everyone interested in the development of more intelligent machines and systems through the synergistic use of multiple sensors.

For some time, all branches of the military have used a wide range of sensors to provide data for many purposes, including surveillance, reconnoitring, target detection and battle damage assessment. Many nations have also attempted to utilise these sensors for civilian applications, such as crop monitoring, agricultural disease tracking, environmental diagnostics, cartography, ocean temperature profiling, urban planning, and the characterisation of the Ozone Hole above Antarctica. The recent convergence of several important technologies has made possible new, advanced, high performance, sensor based applications relying on the near-simultaneous fusion of data from an ensemble of different types of sensors. The book examines the underlying principles of sensor operation and data fusion, the techniques and technologies that enable the process, including the operation of 'fusion engines'. Fundamental theory and the enabling technologies of data fusion are presented in a systematic and accessible manner. Applications are discussed in the areas of medicine, meteorology, BDA and targeting, transportation, cartography, the environment, agriculture, and manufacturing and process control.